District or fire-alarm telegraph



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet I J. 0. WILSON.

DISTRICT 0R FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH. No. 341,115. Patented Ma 4 1886. 55- L L Ear: I Ea'h'k wh essas. I lT Euliml W m 76m a 20625021 N. PETERS. Phnlo-Lllhograpnzr. Washlnglon. 0.1;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. 0. WILSON.

DISTRICT 0R FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH.

No. 341,115. Patented May 4, 1886.

'lllllllllllll IIIIIIIIITI N FETCRS. Fhdlniilhcgraphcn Washington, u c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN CORNELIUS \VILSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DISTRICT OR FIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,115, dated May 4-, 1886.

Application filed February 23, 1884. Renewed September 28, 1885. Serial No. 178,431. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN CORNELIUS WIL- soN, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in District or Fire-Alarm Telegraphs, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention, relating toa fire-alarm or district telegraph apparatus, is shown embodied in an automatic fire-alarm telegraph, in which signals'are transmitted upon the breaking out of the fire. These signals are transmitted by the usual signal boxes or instruments, each containing a motor for actuating a signalingsurface or break-wheel, by which a definite series of interruptions are produced in the electric current, the series being different at each box or station, and thus indicating from what station the signal is received.

The present invention consists, mainly, in the means employed for setting the boxes in operation or releasing their actuating-motors, which are provided with detents controlled by electro-magnets. .The releasing-magnets of a considerable number of signal-boxes that are located in a group or near together, as in the difi'erent stories or apartments of a large building, are included in a local circuit, and normally-closed shunts are provided for each of the said magnets, having suitable circuitbreakers, each of which when operated opens the corresponding shunt-and causes the current to pass through. the releasing-magnet in the local circuit. The releasing magnet'of one of the boxes has no shunt, the said magnet being normally charged, and the box being released by the demagnetization of the said magnet, which takes place if the local circuit is broken or grounded or otherwise in jured or deranged in such a manner as to interfere with the operation of the other boxes.

Figure 1 is a diagram view showing the circuits and relation of the apparatus thereto in a telegraph system embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of one of the signalboxes the magnet of which is normally shunted; Fig. 3, a detail showing the detent of one of the boxes, the releasing-magnet of which is included in the local circuit by which the boxes are released, and Figs. at and 5 an ele- Vation and section of the thermostat used.

The main line L, over which the signals are transmitted, has both its ends grounded in the signal-receiving station, and each end passes through an independent battery, B or B. The two batteries B B are connected to the line in such a manner as to oppose one another, and are of slightly unequal strength, so that the line is normally affected by a weak current, due to the difference between the said battery, and of less amount than that produced by either one of the said batteries when unopposed by the other.

The line Lcontains indicatingrelays a, controlling local circuits L,'the said relays being properly adjusted to retain their arinatures attracted when affected by the weak current, due to the difference between the batteries B B, and thereby retaining their local circuits open and the signaling-instruments thereof inoperative. In case, however, the main line L should be broken, the said relays a would cease to retain their armatures, which would close the local circuits L, causing a signal to be given indicating the rupture of the said main circuit. The main line also includes indicating-relays b, properly adjusted to retain their armatures retracted when affected only by the weaker current, due to the difference between the batteries, but which, when affected by the stronger current of either battery acting unopposed, as when the main line is grounded at any point affording a separate circuit to each battery B B, will attract their armatures, closing the local circuit L", controlled by them, and thus causing the signals in said circuit to operate, indicating the grounding of the line. Relays 0, preferably also adjusted so as not be affected by the weak current, control local circuits L containing signalreceiving instruments R-such, for instance, as the usual selfstarting registersand it is obvious that the said relays 0 might be employed to control the local circuits L, for indicating when the main line is grounded.

The parts thus far described are shown and claimed in another application for Letters Patcut, and do not of themselves constitute a part of the present invention.

The signals are transmitted by grounding the main line at the transmitting-box, which is so arranged as to transmit the signals over the line leading from the said box to one of -rc5 more signals on the side and through the receivinginstruments connected with the battery B.

break-wheel h,in metallic connection with the clock-work or plate 6, and the latter of which carries a circuit-controlling device composed of a half-disk, 7c, cooperating with contactsprings m m each of which is in contact with the said disk during the consecutivehalf-revolutions of the arbor 7c. The half disk k is insulated from theplate 6, but has a hub portion, k co-operating with a contact-spring, it, permanently connected by wire 23 with the ground, thus connecting the half-disk with the ground. The main line L, entering the box at one side, as at the bindingpost 2, Fig. 2, connected with the part of the line passing to the battery B at the receivingstation, is connected with a contact-spring, h", normally resting on the unnotched portion of the surface of the break-wheel h, and the line L, leading from the binding-post 3 at the other side of the box through the battery B, is connected with the metal frame-work e and break-wheel h the circuit thus normally being completed through the spring h and wheel h. The gearing between the arbors h k is such that the wheel it makes one or more complete rotations while the arbor 7c is making a half-rotation, or while the halfdisk 7; remains in contact with one of the sprihgsas, for instance, the one m-the other spring then being disconnected from the said disk. It will be seen that when the wheel h is permitted to rotate its notches passing over the spring will produce a number of breaks in the mainline circuit, and in order that these breaks may affect the line at one side only of the box at one time the line at the other side is grounded, thus bringing one of the batteries at the receiving-station into a grounded circuit through the break-wheel, which break-wheel thus produces no effect upon the line and battery at the other side of the box.

To effect the proper grounding of the line, the portion entering the box at one side or by the binding-screw 2, connected with the spring h", is provided with a branch wire, 4, connected with the spring m, that cooperates with the half-disk while the line leaving the box at the other side from the binding-post 3 has a branch wire, 5, connected with the spring of, co-operat-ing with the said half-=disk it. Thus, when the box is operated, the circuit during the first one ormore complete rotations of the break-wheel is from the ground at the receiving-station, through the battery B and .line L,

to the spring h and break-wheel h, the branch 4 being then open at the spring m and halfdisk It, and the circuit from the break-wheel s continued by the branch 5 through the spring m halfdisk is, spring a, and wire 23, to the ground, thus producing a complete grounded circuit through the battery B and break-wheel, which latter produces no effect on the portion of the line connected with the battery B and receiving-instruments therein until after the arbor 70 has made a half-rota tion, when the circuit will be from the battery B to the binding-post 3, brealcwheel h, spring h branch 4, spring an, half-disk k, spring a, and wire 23, to the ground, the branch 5 then being open at m It.

The releasing-magnetsg of a group of boxes located near together, as in the different rooms of a building, or in the different buildings of ablock, are included in a local circuit, independent of the main line over which the sig nals are transmitted, the local circuit containing a battery, B", one pole of which is connected with wire 10, passing through the different releasing magnets g to the ground, while the other pole of the said battery is connected by wire 12, passing through the different boxes or stations to the ground, thus making a normallyclosed local circuit through the coils of the magnetsg, the portion 12 of which circuit is connected with the ground branches 23, through which, when any one of the boxes is released and operated, the main line L is connected by the switch it with the ground alternately at opposite sides of the breakwheel h, as before described.

In all but one of the boxes the detents of the arms 6 are engaged when the armatures of the releasing-magnets g are retracted, and the releasing-magnets are normally demagnetized by means of shunt-circuits 13, which include a normally-closed circuit-breaker, 0, adapted to be opened by a rise in temperature, the said circuit-breaker being operated by a thermostatic instrument, T, of any suitable or usual construction. hen the temperature of the thermostat is raised sufficiently, the shunt-circuit 13 is broken at 0, causing the current of the battery 13 to pass through the corresponding magnet, g, which attracts its armature and releases the arm 0 of the box, causing it to transmit the signal first in one and then in the other direction toward the receiving -station, as before described. In the box most remote from the battery B or nearest the ground in the local circuit, the magnet g is not normally shunted, but is retained magnetized by the current of the said local battery, and the detent of the arm e is arranged, as shown in Fig. 3, to be released when the said magnet is demagnetized, so that the rupture of the circuit 10 12, or the application of a ground on the portion 10 of the said circuit between the box in question and the battery, will cause the release of the said box, the signal of which will indicate that the local circuit is injured, and consequently that IIO the other boxes might fail to operate in case a fire should break out.

A g'roundconnection on the wire 12 will not affect the starting of the box, but it also does not affect the capability of the other boxes to be set in operation or to properly transmit their signals over the mainline. It will thus be seen that any accident, either to the main line or to the circuit for the releasing of the box mechanism, will be made known immediately at the reeeiving'office, and in the latter case it will also be known which local circuit is affected. The normally-closed shunt 13 of the box is preferably also provided with a circuit-breaker, r, adapted to be operated by an attendant or watchman by means of a pull, 1, accessible outside of the box, and an additional shunt, 14, (see Fig. 2,) is also employed, containing a normally-open circuit closer, p, which is adapted to be closed independently after the box has been set in opera tion, to thereby. remove the resistance of the releasing-magnet g from the local circuit. of the battery B". i

The thermostat- T may be of any suitable construct-ion. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it consists of a reservoir, t, held in a ring, t, and containing a few drops of a liquid that vaporizes at a low temperature, thereby ex' panding the flexible side of said reservoir and causing it to operate upon the circuit-breaker 0, as shown in Fig. 5, it being similar in Opera tion to the one shown in Letters Patent No. 266,706, dated October 31, 1882, and of itself forming no part of the present invention. If the ground-wire 12 should be broken, the box the magnet of which is not shunted will be released; but if the break is between the branch 23 of the said box and the ground the signals could not be transmitted, as before de' scribed, but the break-wheel h will operate in the main line, sending its signals with the weak current, which will affect the relays a and local circuits L, so that the signal may be counted off by the attendant, who may, if desired, cut out one of the batteries B or B from the circuit, causing the signal to be received by the relays c in the usual manner, or the relays 0 may be adjusted to respond to the weak current.

I claim- 1. The main line having signal-receiving instruments combined with a signal box or transmitting-instrument containing a motor and releasing-magnet therefor, and a normally-olosed local circuit passing through the said magnet, and a shunt around said magnet containing a thermostatic circuit-breaker, the said magnet being normally demagnetized and releasing the box-motor when energized, sub stautially as described.

2. The main line and group of signal-boxes therein, each provided with a releasing electro-magnet combined with a grounded local circuit through the group of releasing-magnets and normallyclosed shunts for each of the said magnets, except the one nearest the ground, which is thus normally energized and releases the box when demagnetized, thus indicatin g derangement of the local circuit, substantially as described.

3. The main line and group of signal-boxes therein, each provided with a releasing electro-magnet combined with a local circuit passing through the said magnet to the ground, and a shunt for each of the said magnets, except the one nearest the ground, all the said magnets being located between one pole of the battery and the ground, substantially as described.

4. The main line and group of signal-boxes therein, each provided with a releasing electro-magnet combined with a local circuit pass ing through the said magnet to the ground, and a shunt for each of the said magnets, except the one nearest the ground, all the said magnets being located between one pole of the battery and the ground, and the conductor from the other pole of the said battery passing through all the boxes to the ground,in order to afford a ground-connection for the main line, substantially as described.

5. The main line and signal-box therein containing a motor and a releasing-magnet therefor combined with alocal circuitthrough the said magnet, a normally -'closed shunt around said magnet containing a circuitbreaker, and a normally-open shunt around said magnet containing a circuit-closer operated by the release of the box, substantially as described.

6. The main line having both terminals independently grounded at the main or signalreceiving station, each terminal containing independent batteries and signal-receiving instruments combined with a signal-box having a break-wheel connected with the main line at one side of the box and a cooperating spring connected with the main line at the other side of the box, and a circuit-controlling device consisting of a contact-piece continuously connected with the ground and revolving simultaneously with the break-wheel, and contact-springs connected with the main line at either-side ofthe break-wheel and its sp'ring and being alternately placed in electrical contact with the revolving contact-piece during successive intervals in the rotation thereof, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. A series of signaling-instruments having releasing-magnets, one of which releases its instrument upon being demagnetized and the others upon being magnetized, combined with an electric circuit passing through the said magnets and shunts containing normallyclosed circuitbreakers for the magnets that release their instruments upon being magnetized, substantially as described.

In testimony whereoflhave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\Vitnesses: JOHN CORNELIUS WILSON.

' J 0s. 1?. LIVERMORE,

W. H. SIcsroN. 

